by Ron Schwarz
In this chapter
This chapter provides an overview of where weùVBS programmersùfit into the scheme of things vis-a-vis the Internet, and where it's all headed. The Internet continues to grow like Topsy, and it's easy to get overwhelmed. After a look at the plethora of "stuff" coming down the pike in ever-increasing volume and speed, it's tempting to suggest Poe's "A Descent into the Maelstrom" as background material. Instead, we'll try to examine the big picture, separate the wheat from the chaff, and by so doing be able to have an advantage over others who choose to simply dive in, blindly hoping for the best.
What began as a nuclear-hardened network of military computers (see Appendix A, "History of the Internet") has overnight become the most prominent aspect of personal computing. The Internet is on the brink of fulfilling the promises the past two decades of desktop computing. What we thought the CD-ROM and online services would eventually bring, is now available to anyone with an inexpensive computer and modem, at a fraction of the cost.
Within the next few years, Internet access is expected to be as universal as telephone and television access is today. Right now, traditional media, such as telephone, cable TV, and major broadcast outfits, as well as software companies like Microsoft are in the process of developing the software, delivery and access systems, and content that will be used for the "set-top boxes" that are being planned. No one can say exactly when, or how it will all shape up, but one thing is clear: it will happen. And, when it happens, one key ingredient will be active content. And tools like VBScript will be what empowers it.
In the old days, it was easy to know nearly everything about any particular aspect of programming. Now, it sometimes seems amazing that anyone knows anything at all. Hardly a week passes that we are not inundated with new, powerful, and complex resources and tools. By the time you learn a task, it's been superseded; users, developers, and publishers are swamped by the increasing pace of growth in this field.
In the old hierarchical model, you were either a specialist, or a generalist. Generalists filtered up to management, administration, and design positions, and specialists did the dirty work in the trenches. When the right mix of people and personalities were combined, things worked.
Success now, however, requires a new model. You need to be a jack of most trades and master of some. You need a lot of broad knowledge about quite a few things, and, you need some strongly-focused, in-depth expertise in some key subjects. The trick is to decide which ones to learn, which ones to master, and which ones to ignore. This book will try to guide you through that processùat least so far as interactive web page development using VBScript is concernedùand leave you with the resources to continue riding the wave. As software development matures, only the savvy will succeed. And as the wealth of new technologies continues to increase in volume, "savvyness" will become a scarce commodity. This is the time to stake your claim, and the way you'll do that is by learning how to learn, and what to learn. When you've done that, you'll be nicely positioned for what's just starting to happen now.
The Internet is a global network of networks, overflowing with a mix of information ranging from the indispensable to the trite to the obscene. "The Internet" is not a company. You can't "contact the management" to deal with problems or provide solutions, because in a very real sense, there isn't any "management". Each system on the Internet, whether it's a large corporate network, or a kid with a net link in his parents' basement, has its own administration, with corresponding degrees of ability and accountability. There is no "central authority". The net has become a seething ocean of information and noise, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find and use what's needed.
The Internet holds an embarrassment of riches, to the extent that large numbers of users have become information junkies, while others burn out on information overload. Just as Microsoft Windows applications provide the ability to control more information by highly abstracting the interface, the vast resources of the Internet will also need to be effectively harnessed. We won't be able to get by with more toolsùwhat we need are better tools. You may not need power steering on a two-seat sportscar, but you'd find it essential if you're controlling massive earth-moving, logging, or mining equipment. You need a way to leverage your time, effort, and knowledge, proportionate to the quantity of raw material you're managing.
The Web in the Window
Windows-based applications don't provide their power and ease of use by means of linear-increase in functionality over their earlier non-GUI-based predecessors. Instead, they offer a higher degree of management and control by virtue of providing newer ways of doing things.
Certainly, part of the process does consist of making existing tasks easier. Instead of having to learn numerous commands, control-keys, function keys, and layer after layer of text menus, the user can work with pulldown menus, toolbars, context menus, checkboxes, and other elements of modern GUI interface design. Time and effort previously wasted dealing with the mechanics of the task (and endless rote memorization of command sequences) can now be devoted to the work at hand. And, fewer distractions and lower stress levels lead to more efficient, effective, and contented users.
As impressive as these improvements may be, the real power lies in features such as OLE automation, in-place activation, linked and embedded applications, compound documents, and doc objects, which make it possible to do things that were hitherto impossible. And what is the focus of these "things"? They provide a higher level of abstraction (and by implication, control) over content. They provide leverage. The basic interface elements aid productivity; they allow users to do the same things differently. OLE and related functionality leapfrog this, however, and provide the ability to multiply the effectiveness of the user, to the point that work that used to require days of effort by a team of experts can now be done in hours, (or minutes) by one person reasonably proficient in the use of a set of tools.
Developing for Windows requires a different philosophy than developing for earlier non-GUI platforms. To succeed, you must learn to think differently. This same philosophy is mandatory if effective Internet development is to be anything beyond a pipe dream. "More" knowledge just can't cut it. There's just too much to learn. The most important action is focus, and the most important process is determining what to focus on. Learn how to learn, then learn what to learn. Then amaze everyone with your incredible insights!
The greatest area of growth in Internet use has been occurring with the World Wide Web. To many, if not most recent users, the WWW is "the net." (Thankfully, such awkward neologisms as "The Information Superhighway" are dying a merciful and rapid death.) While the majority of users can safely exhibit this level of naivetΘ, we as developers are afforded no such luxury. "The Web" is but one facet of the Internet; however, its prominence is not unwarranted, and as more and more traffic, as well as more kinds of traffic are carried, it's only natural to expect expanded capabilities and tools to appear.
The current high level of chaos is a result of the volume of information, the sheer numbers of users, and the diversity of tools used to manage and access the web. Whoever brings order out of chaos will stand to directly benefit. This is a good time to know Visual Basic, and a good time to be writing code.
You've probably heard the phrase "Active Content." While it covers a lot of territory, the most important things to keep in mind right now are that it's real, it's probably the most significant new factor in Internet programming, and VBScript falls smack dab in the middle of it all. If you're coming from a traditional HTML programming background, you'll find exciting new possibilities for interactive web pages. If you're a long time VB hack, you'll be able to quickly put your skills to work.
Just when the world is learning what the Internet is, along comes another buzzword: "Intranets." Essentially, Intranets are kid brothers to the Internet, and present exciting new opportunities for developers. What the Internet is to the world, Intranets are to organizations. Although different types of content are generally involved, methodologies are identical, and the benefits are significant
Intranet are is more than a buzzword for network or LAN. An intranet is a type of LAN, the significant point being the fact that intranets use Internet style tools and applications to manage and present content.
One key element of Intranets is exclusivity. Whereas the Internet is an open, global network, Intranets are proprietary to the organizations that create and administer them. This opens a world of exciting development opportunities, as each organization's needs are different.
The next generation of Windows will provide seamless integration of the Internet and your local computer. The Windows Explorer will provide access to the Internet, and, access to other machines in an organization's Intranet, too. Documents will be accessible the same way whether they are on your local hard drive, on another machine in your local network, or anywhere in the world on the Internet. All this will be accomplished using the same metaphorùno longer will users have to learn three different ways of working.
As Intranets proliferate and supersede traditional networking approaches, a "grand unification" of sorts will occurùwhere information is located will essentially cease to be an issue; instead, users can concentrate on what they need to do with it. Users can focus on tasks, letting the system deal with processes.
To get an idea of what an Intranet is, take a look at the Internet, then view it in the context of your naval meditating on you. It's a bit counterintuitive at first, if not downright retrograde. What the Internet is to the world, an Intranet is to your local organization. In a sense, it's a miniature walled-off alternate universe clone of the Internet. So what's the big deal anyway? The same productivity and comfort payoffs that the Internet provides for global information are available locally with an Intranet. In fact, the same tools are used, and the same skills are used.
While many people perceive LAN applications to be stagnant, difficult to learn, painful to use, and downright obtuse, Internet software has become incredibly powerful, and (from the users' perspective, at least) extremely easy to learn, and use. Probably the main reason for this is simple economics of scale. The very large base of Internet users has created an attractive target for application developers.
The result of all this is a proliferation of "mini-Internets" (quickly termed Intranets), which breathe new life into LAN technology, and, create a burgeoning new market for application developers. And, as new tools like VBScript make it easy to create web pages that move beyond the realm of "virtual television", whole new markets will quickly appear.
Corporate information systems will no longer be limited to whatever access an overworked "priesthood" can provide. Support staff will have be able to get information they need, when they need it, without having to tackle any learning curves other than that required for basic operation of Windows.
As large corporations go, Microsoft is unique. Generally, the rule is that the bigger they are, the slower they move, and the more inertia-bound they become, until they reach a point at which they are overtaken by a team of garage operators with that lean and hungry look. 'Taint so in Redmond. The folks there have learned how to be big, and how to be nimble at the same time. They rigorously apply a set of principles that ensure steady, continuous progress, and real growth.
Fortunately, there's no big secret involved hereùthe rules are pretty straightforward, as we'll see, and we can apply them with similar results (albeit on a less-grandiose scale) to our own operations.
Microsoft is not perfect. They make mistakes. They head off in wrong directions, they make strategic blunders, and they develop software that people don't use or like.
In that regard, they're just like everyone else.
However, Microsoft learns from its mistakes. You won't see them make the same mistake twice. Other companies seem to run into the same brick walls over and over again, as if mindless repetition has some merit in and of itself. While the largest corporations may have the resources (by virtue of sheer mass, if nothing else) to survive such pigheadedness for a while, countless smaller outfits wash in and out with the tides.
Microsoft, in spite of all this, has become the de-facto leader in their field, and only the sour-grapes crowd seriously attributes it to their size. The fact is, they are darn good at what they do, and a great deal of what they do consists of analyzing where things are headed.
So, even though they are subject to the same limitations as any other group of people working in this industry, they manage to make steady progress. They work hard, and they work smart. And when they commit to something with the fervor they've dedicated to the Internet, you should ignore them at your own peril.
The tools are available. The market is available. After you read this book, you'll have the skills required. What's missing? Direction. Without a vision of where you fit in to the scheme of things, you'll be like someone at the airport, bags packed, ready to go, but with no destination.
You can bet that a lot of your competition will simply try to reinvent the wheel, only on a grander scale. Let's face it: what separates a great programmer from a competent programmer is not so much coding skills as much as it is the ability to think. Too many programmers spend too much time writing code, and too little time thinking about what they are writing.
The inclination, of course, is to subconsciously view time spent thinking as time wasted, since nothing tangible results from it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Diving in before you have a clear idea of where you're going is simply one more variation on the "haste makes waste" theme. When you're running around in circles, shifting into high gear does not translate into progress.
Time spent reading, studying, learning, and above all, thinking, is anything but wasted. Just as we should not be afraid to learn from the failures of others, we ought to take a look at their successes, too. Microsoft is a prime exampleùit's clear from the breadth and depth of their present Internet offerings that a fantastic amount of thought and planning has gone into the process.
We can benefit from this in two ways. First, we can ride their coattails. The less industrious will merely grab the latest tools, and hope that this alone will be sufficient to keep them in business. The rest of us, however, will want to take the time and effort to determine where Microsoft is headed, and anticipate how we can fit into things. Granted, they (understandably) play things close to the vestùit's not in their interest to tip their hand to the competition. Even so, there's more than enough solid info available in press releases, online notes, SDK documentation, published interviews, and books like this, to give us what we need to get an idea of what's going on. Keeping an ear to the ground is a good way to avoid the plight of buggy-whip manufacturers in Henry Ford's time.
The second way we stand to gain from this is by emulating their methods. Study, think, plan, test, and review. Above all, review your failures. When something goes wrong, find out what went wrong, why it went wrong, and how to avoid it in the future. Too many developers focus on their successes, but quickly distance themselves from their failures. Never underestimate the value of an intensive post-mortem.
Looking Over the Next Hill
One lesson American corporations are finally learning from the Japanese is the false economy of short-sighted planning. While we were basing long-term decisions on quarterly payoffs, they were willing to accept short-term losses as part of long-term strategy. It's really nothing more than avoiding missing the forest for the trees. When you're driving your car, you know to "drive long," and watch the road more than one car-length ahead. It's the same when writing software, and this becomes even more of a consideration when beginning to use a new environment, such as VBScript.
To be sure, you will be applying many of your existing skills. But, whether you're coming from an HTML background, or a VB background, you're going to have to learn to think differently. You don't want to be one more wheel-reinventor, right?
For a while now, a type of web interactivity has existed. We've all seen sites that allow searches, selection of options, and fill-in-the-blanks form entry. Of course, it's been fairly crude, since all the logic was contained at the server end, and was further restricted by CGI limitations.
So, you can expect to see a proliferation of VBScript pages that are little more than direct translations of older CGI style interactive pages, with perhaps a few cosmetic bells and whistles tacked on, reminiscent of the "ransom note" effectùmixed fonts, sizes, and styles, all on the same pageùthat earmarked the initial efforts of neophytes when desktop publishing software became widely available.
This same type of thinking (or more correctly, lack of thought) thwarted the efforts of numerous DOS programmers when they made the initial transition to Windows programming. Direct "translations" of old-style applications to the new environment were common.
New platforms require new ways of thinking. Those who are the first to realize this, and the first to learn the new ways, will be the ones who position themselves to benefit the most from the technology. Those who persist in trying to do new things using old methods will be doomed to years of hard work for little return.
We're entering an era where pretty much everything will be new to everyone. Yes, it's a bit intimidating. But it's also rife with opportunity. After all, when everyone is at the starting gate at the same time, we all have an equal chance of success. Bill Gates got his start as a teenager by writing the first decent BASIC interpreter for 8-bit microcomputers. He didn't have much of an advantage over his contemporaries, other than the foresight to take the available resources, and be the first to use them to that end.
Opportunities like this don't come along very often, and the astute reader will realize this, and capitalize on it.
So, we've decided that we have the tools we need, we are dedicated to using them thoughtfully, and we are going to be anything other than one more me-too hack slaving away at painfully tedious work. After all, we want to excel at what we're doing, but we want to enjoy our work too! So, what to do?
The first step is to look at what's being done now without tools like VBScript. (If you don't want to intentionally reinvent the wheel, you certainly don't want to inadvertently do so!)
Examine different web sites that offer old-style HTML interactivity. (Remember to do your testing on systems that are connected to the Internet via modem linksùif you're using a super-fast direct connection, you will not get a feeling for the frustration the vast majority of users face when using server-bound HTML interactivity.) Pay attention to look and feel, capabilities, and limitations. Pay particular attention to things that are slow, cumbersome, and awkward. Ask yourself if the things you don't like are due to programmer failings, or reflect basic shortcomings of the HTML-way of doing things.
At this point, the immediate temptation will be to think of ways to work around these problems with VBScript. As with most temptations, though, the rewards are largely illusory. Remember, we're out to avoid reinventing the wheel. The reason we're examining the way things are done now is not so that we can do the same things, only better. Instead, we want to familiarize ourselves with the limitations inherent in the current platform, and use the new technology to leapfrog the competition.
By realizing the restrictions built-into the current HTML world, we can begin to see to what extent look-and-feel is shaped by the environment in which it exists. By making a "gripe list" of things we don't like, we can get a sense of just how low the ceiling is. Eventually, we'll form an instinctive disgust for the innate restrictions of HTML, and lose any and all interest in emulating them.
When you reach that point, you'll be chomping at the bit to see what VBScript can do for you, and your users. And, you'll have zero inclination to reinvent the wheel.
The next step is to familiarize yourself with the tools. Learn what they are, how they interact, and how to use them. Find other people using the same tool sets, and form strategic alliances. (Cut-throat competition may be fine for used-car sales, but chances are, you don't even have a tacky plaid suit...)
VBScript is one part of Microsoft's Internet strategy. So are the Internet Explorer (IE), Internet Information Server (IIS), VRML, SQL Server 6.5, dbWeb, ActiveX SDK (and controls), the Internet Control Pack (ICP), FrontPage, Jakarta, Java, and on and on. The offerings are so extensive that it's impossible to pay more than lip service to them all in any one book. One thing to remember, though, is that Microsoft is literally the "House that Basic Built," and we can see that this versatile language is being given a place of prominence in the realm of Internet development.
In most cases (at least until other vendors get on the bandwagon and add VBScript compliance to their browsers), you, and your users will be using the Internet Explorer. The IE will be fully integrated into the next versions of Windows, and, will be able to be included with applications you develop using Visual Basic and other full-fledged development languages. It is important to remember that net exploring will be a seamless part of the operating system.
The IIS will also be used by more providers. It's likely that this will initially manifest itself in a groundswell of Intranet installations, since the server version of Windows NT will come with a free copy of IIS, and, new installations don't have to cope with inertia issues (existing Internet providers may for a while be loath to change from their existing web servers, until sufficient user and market demand forces them to upgrade).
Fortunately, even though VBScript and IIS dovetail nicely, IIS is not necessary for VBScript page use. Any web server can dish up working VBS-enabled web pages, so long as you avoid any IIS-specific functionality.
SQL Server 6.5 provides Internet-specific hooks, and is designed to work with IIS, as is dbWeb. These tools allow you to easily publish databases on the Internet (or, Intranets). Applications like online order-entry, data reference, and other data-centric systems can become truly practical over the web for the first time.
FrontPage, and other page development systems provide a means to develop and publish web content without having to immerse oneself in the arcana of HTML programming.
VRML will allow real-time 3-D graphic applications to be run over the web. Uses for this run the gamut from games to medical diagnosis.
ActiveX development is a very broad areaùso extensive, that the initial beta version of the SDK was made available as a twelve megabyteùcompressedùfile, and the shipping version commanded a CD of its own. The part we'll be paying particular attention to here is ActiveX controls (formerly called "OCX controls"). These custom controls provide a capability to embed virtually anything on a web page, and VBScript is the language that manages them.
The ICP is a set of very useful ActiveX controls that can be used to add anything from email to web browsing to any application written in any language that can use ActiveX controls. By merely setting some properties, and writing a few lines of code, you can add email (sending and receiving), news reading, FTP, HTTP, or nearly any Winsock function required to your applications.
Other facets of Microsoft's Internet strategy provide compliance with Java and JavaScript, secure information transfer, merchant services, multimedia broadcast, and so much more as to beg comprehension, let alone description in one book. The list is expected to grow significantly, too!
It's often said in this industry that you can always tell who the real pioneers areùthey're the ones with the arrows in their backs. Starting out now, you'll be working in largely uncharted territory, with early-generation tools, and most every step you take will take you somewhere you've never been before. In a way, it's no exaggeration to assert that this is the birth of the Internet; yes, it's been around a while, but until now, its growth was largely horizontal. It got bigger and bigger, but it really didn't change all that much, and what change occurred was slow.
Now, it's poised to take off, and you're in the pilot's seat. So, where do you take it?
Remember, the most important thing is focus. It's easy to succumb to the kid-in-a-candy-store syndrome. All roads lead everywhere, and you're in the middle.
The first thing you'll need to bring into focus is the main fork in the road. This is the intersection that leads in one direction to Internet applications, and to Intranet applications in the other. Having found this, you are immediately placed at the head of the pack, since you can safely rely on most of your competitors to frantically dither from one "wow" topic to another.
Cabbages and Kings
Internet and intranet apps are developed using the same tools, and the same skills as each other. But, the targeted users are completely different, and the types of applications are consequently different, too.
Intranets will be used by organizations of every stripe. The most immediately visible type will be the corporate organization. But don't forget to consider the wide scope of groups that will be setting up Intranetsùeducational organizations (universities, public schools, private schools, charter schools, "distance learning" schools, school districts), unions, churches, units of local, state, and federal government (including branches of the above), libraries, insurance companies, law firms, medical groups, and fraternal organizations are just a few of the types of outfits that will be able to make real use of a private, Internet-style network.
Internet applications, on the other hand, are for the most part "open to the public." While intranet applications are by nature restricted to those who have physical access to the specific intranet in question, Internet apps that need restricted access (due to content, security, or other considerations) will have to take extra precautions to make sure that only members of the intended audience can gain entry. Security issues are discussed in Chapter 8, "Security."
We can examine some typical examples of VBScript applications (in fact, we'll be doing that in the chapters that follow) but trying to list all possible (or even all likely) uses for VBScript-enabled active content web pages would be an exercise in sheer folly, as well as a serious disservice to you. We can no more reasonably ask "What applications are suited to VBS?" than we could inquire as to which types of programs can be developed in any programming language. While it's true that each language, and each platform, has its own set of features and shortcomings, the fact remains that the scope of possibilities is endless.
Just as early predictions of a total worldwide demand of only five or six computers are now seen as absurd, anyone thinking they have a handle on just what types of apps can and cannot be developed with a particular set of tools is going to be astonished at the fruits of the labors of those who refuse to wear a similar set of blinders.
With this in mind, let's look at a few representative uses for this technology. Again, it cannot be sufficiently emphasized that this list is non-inclusive.
Some typical Internet uses include:
Naturally, some of these things are already being done now, using earlier technology (server-side CGI scripts, for example). However, their implementations are by nature typically crude, cumbersome, and non-intuitive. By using current (such as VBS) tools to re-implement (as opposed to duplicating) these applications, you'll be able to offer your clients (or employer, as the case may be) a powerful competitive advantage.
The real power of active content web programming, however, will be evidenced in new applicationsùapplications that are simply too complex and powerful to even consider attempting in "pure" HTML with its, bandwidth-bound, limited intrinsic controls, and complete lack of client-side logic.
Although Internet applications will frequently differ in type from Intranet applications, the same abstract reasoning skills are required for development. We'll discuss these considerations after we look at a few typical applications for Intranet installations:
As you can see, there is some overlap, even in the few examples we've provided. Some applications, such as content retrieval, are near-universal in scope, even though actual implementations will vary widely, based on content and context requirements.
Both the Internet, and Intranet lists above represent only a smattering of potential applications. You'll easily be able to come up with several others after a few minutes of brainstorming, and even more after discussing possibilities with others.
It's a simple word; most of us in this business probably use it at least once or twice a day. This might be a good time to review it, since we're about to experience a tsunami-like event that will affect us all. Whether we accept it with open arms, or are dragged into it kicking and screaming, we will be confronted with, and have to deal with, Internet/Intranet programming issues.
Events of these proportions do not happen that frequently. Probably the last time our industry faced similar changes was when Windows 3.0 was released. The last time prior to that was when DOS killed the future of CP/M.
In each of these past events, there were two groups of people: those who said "It'll never fly" (the buggy-whip manufacturers), and, those who realized that they'd better get with the program regardless of their own feelings on the matter.
It's no different now. And, while no change is entirely pleasant, we have certain benefits that were unavailable to earlier "pioneers." For one thing, we've seen this happen before. They didn'tùat least not to the extent that we have. If we choose to play the "it can't happen here" game, we've only ourselves to blame when we find ourselves out in the cold in the not-too-distant future.
Another factor giving us an advantage over our predecessors is the fact that the industry as a whole has matured, platforms and standards are well-established, and fantastic tools are available to implement new solutions.
With all this in mind, let's take a brief look at just what makes implementation such an important concept.
At one time or another, you've probably found yourself in a situation in which you were being asked to take an existing system, (either paper-based, or running on an earlier non-Windows operating system) and "make a Windows version of it."
It's not only large bureaucracies that are subject to inertia. Everyone is resistant to change to one degree or another. This isn't always bad, and is frequently good. However, when it manifests itself in the desire to duplicate an existing system, rather than implementing it in the new environment, there's really nothing at all to be said in its defense.
An existing system reflects the limitations of the context for which it was initially developed. It also reflects the constraints imposed by whatever development tools were available when it was created.
Attempting to create a "straight port" of the system may indeed be possible, but if you do so, you are doing your client no favor, even if he claims it works and is what he wants. It's not just a matter of cosmetics. Consider the earlier transition from character-based DOS programs to GUI-based Windows applications. There were plenty of straight ports. One language vendor (not, by the way, Microsoft) even developed a library that made it easyùit emulated the character-based DOS "interactive" (as opposed to event-driven) interface in a window!
When you implement a solution, you have to focus, think, and learn. The goal of this is to be able to intelligently and accurately determine the characteristics of the task to be implemented, and devise a solution offering the most effective combination of ease of use, power, and utilization of the feature set provided by the environment in which you're working.
For example, having four hundred small "fill-in-the-blank" fields may be ok on a form printed on a sheet of legal-size paper. Trying to duplicate that monster in a window, however, is nothing short of an exercise in futility.
If you can understand that explaining to the client that there is a better way is not "an excuse" for your inability to create a workable (and identical) duplicate of the existing system, you grasp the principle involved. If, on the other hand, when presented with a situation of this type, your practice is to first try to create an exact duplicate of the existing system, and then try to make excuses for the inevitable problems that ensue, you need to seriously examine the principles we've explored in this chapter.
Why is this so important now?
The Internet, and the WWW in particular, have overnight become household terms. People who never used a computer before are now running heavy-duty iron, and the only program many of them ever use is their web browser. The user base is thereùthe demand is thereùand the existing systems, ready for implementationùare there.
There is no way to accurately predict the ground-swell of demand for "computerization." The only thing we can be sure of is that it will be immense. If this next generation of applications is tackled intelligently, thoughtfully, and carefully, we will all benefit greatly. If we jump in and flail away at anything that moves, we'll end up shooting ourselves in the feet.
For the first time, we are going to be dealing with mass quantities of people who have existing systems that they will want ported to the net. The keys to bringing about one successful port after another are understanding of the properties of the "new" Internet, and succinctly communicating this to the client.
Master what we've covered in this chapter, learn the mechanics of VBScript as presented in this book, and with the right attitude, you'll be one of those who are able to write their own ticket.
After spending the better part of this chapter with our heads in the virtual-clouds, this topic may seem an odd way to wrap up. But, for better or worse, HTML is currently the Lingua Franca of the Internet, and until the WWW is replaced with something completely different, nearly everything we've discussed in this chapter will have its realization expressed in the form of HTML statements, and scripts contained within HTML blocks.
So, let's take a minute or two to get our feet back on the ground, and prepare to segue into the nitty-gritty of VBScript development.
HTML extensions come in two main forms: those that affect appearance, and those that affect behavior. Cosmetic changes are the most visible, but active content is where it's at, and that's where the focus of this book will take you. As you read on, you'll learn how to use VBScript to manage active content, and "glue" together the elements required to move the net beyond "virtual-TV."
So go brew a bucket of coffee, get a big box (and clear off the top of your desk into it), fire up Notepad and Internet Explorer, and dig in!
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